Waiting
by Seth the Inu
Summary: Sequel 1 to 'Remembrance'. Crossing over after Roxas left, Axel is left with nothing to do but wait.


**Waiting**

_Disclaimer:  
None of the characters or their catch-phrases belong to me._

- O -

Gazing at the empty space that had previously been occupied to his left, Axel questioned what he was to now do with his non-life until Roxas returned.

'I could stay,' he thought, his eyes not moving from their stare, 'I could remain here for his return.'

Shaking his head, the Nobody closed his eyes, blocking all sights around him. He could wait, but how long was he to wait for?

Tilting his head down and slowly opening his green orbs, Axel noticed the ground directly below him was rippling and shimmering like water.

'Or I could move on and let him follow later.'

Bracing his hands on the ledge of the clock tower in Twilight Town on either side of his body, the redhead pushed, shutting his eyes as he let the unknown take over his control, pulling him through the dark liquid.

- O -

Groaning at the light that penetrated through his closed eyes, Axel flung his arms over his head in an attempt to bring back the dark and fall back to a peaceful sleep. Hearing murmured voices, he shot up, frantic at finding out where he was now.

What he first noticed was the pale arrange of colours in the room he was in; different light shades of different colours everywhere. Next was that he was situated on a soft bed, a soft cream colour, pushed up against a pale blue wall.

'Where am I?'

Spotting movement out of the corner of his vision, the Nobody turned his head, then pushed himself against the wall in an attempt to place distance between his body and the bodies of the present Organisation members.

"Calm down Axel," Demyx attempted to calm his elder down. "You're safe here; we can't hurt you even if we wanted."

Axel watched them, not moving from his 'safe' position. The group of seven hadn't actually moved to attack him; they had in fact all just stood there, watching him in return.

Demyx's face was one of concern, kneeling beside the bed that the redhead had been on. Behind him stood Zexion, his arms crossed over his chest as his visible eye was trained on Axel's face. Lexaeus was also there, near Zexion, as he always was, nothing on his face as usual.

Xigbar had draped his right arm over Luxord's shoulder, a grin stretched over his mouth, while Luxord had a similar expression, only smaller.

Marluxia and Larxene, situated to Lexaeus' left, were also there. She had her hip cocked to one side, hands on hips in impatience, while Marluxia just stood there. Both expressions were ones of irritation, but underneath Axel could see worry.

Finished with his observations, the rolled-up Nobody finally spoke. "So, why can't you kill me?"

Zexion answered his question, understanding the situation more than the others from his experience as a scientist. "This place has restrictions on it. We have neither magic, nor are we able to summon any weapons to hand. Any attempt of any physical violence is prohibited, and those that attempt the action are sent away with no choice or option."

Slowly nodding his head at the answer, the redhead gazed around the place he had woken up in. He noticed other people, people not from the Organization, wandering and talking to others. One eyebrow rose in confusion, attempting to work out who they were and where he was.

Larxene huffed in irritation at his confused attention. "They're kinda like us," she drawled out, dragging the distracted Nobody's attention towards her. "They died incomplete, missing something from their own pitiful lives. Right now they're like us, waiting and not yet ready or willing to move forward into their own path or something."

Axel understood most of what she had said; by now he had relaxed out of his ball state and was leaning against the wall, legs crossed as he sat on the bed.

But he still didn't understand the 'moving on' part.

Demyx rose from his position beside the bed, grabbing Axel's wrist and dragged him through an open doorway into a light gray room. His hostage yelped at the sudden movement, but followed wherever he was being taken, the other companions following the two out of the room.

The sitarist pointed towards a large white door, a bright light gleaming through the cracks. It reminded Axel of the light that had surrounded Roxas when the blonde had left him on the clock tower.

"On the other side of the door for us is our heart. Once we walk through, we are reconnected and complete."

Marluxia cut in on Demyx, adding more to what the sandy-blonde had just said. "Every person who ends up here with something missing has it on the other side of the door. But to begin the journey, you must be ready to begin all over again."

"Again?" Axel glanced at the remaining Organization members at the word.

Luxord coughed. "It's a gamble, a chance. Once you go through the door, you don't come back; you lose every memory you have in order to begin life all over again. Like I said, a gamble. On one hand, you retain everything and wait forever, or on the other, you start life anew and complete."

"This place won't kick you out though, kid," Xigbar chuckled, hoping to elevate the morbid air around the redhead. "You can stay as long as you like, waiting for whatever; unless go and get involved in a fight."

"Yeah, like Saïx and stuff," Larxene laughed, followed by snickers and laughs of agreement from the other Organization members.

Axel enquired at their reactions. "What? What happened to them?"

Lexaeus spoke up, a smile hovering over his mouth. "Xemnas decided he liked this place, the safe place that is in between life and death, and ordered us to take over."

Zexion cut in. "But only his faithful followers complied to his orders. Saïx, Xaldin and Vexen did as he said, and were taken through the door. Xemnas was also taken after when the people found out he had given the order for them to fight."

Silence followed after, Axel turning to stare back at the door. He thought of it; begin a life now with no idea of Roxas, or wait for who knows how long for the little blonde to come and then start life again.

"What say, kid?"

Taking one last glance at the door, the redhead turned away.

"I'll wait."

- O -

Over the years of waiting in the large building, many uncompleted people entered and left through the door, eager to become whole and start a new slate.

Axel chose to stay behind, helping and clarifying to the newcomers. When asked what he was doing, the redhead explained that he was waiting for a good friend of his, and said no more.

While he talked to others about their lives, the Nobody refused to talk about his and everyone respected his privacy.

Eventually, his fellow Organization members left him, choosing to give up everything in order to begin again. Demyx and Zexion had gone through last, deciding to do the journey together; it didn't surprise Axel as he had noticed how close the two had gotten.

The redhead remained behind still, accompanied by only his memories of his blonde and the time they had spent together.

- O -

Standing in front of the door, waving as another chose to depart through the door, Axel's jade eyes got distracted by the appearance of a newcomer. Young, blonde hair that flicked off to one side, a black coat, bright cerulean eyes...

"Roxas!"

Rushing over to the newly arrived Nobody, the redhead helped his friend settle comfortably on one of the available beds; the same one that Axel had woken up on.

Taking a seat on the floor by the head of the bed, he watched as the blonde slept peacefully, taking in the features that he company with only in his memories. Even though many years had passed in the outside worlds, time had not touched the blonde, keeping him in his sixteen-year-old form.

Lifting his right arm, Axel reached out to Roxas' head, running his fingers through the soft blonde tufts of hair. He felt the teen begin to stir, but kept at his petting.

Sapphire eyes fluttered open, taking in everything he could see. Feeling something trailing through his hair, the young Nobody glanced up, his eyes following the black-sleeved arm to its body, finding emerald eyes framed with red hair gazing back, a softness directed at him.

"Axel!"

Getting up off the floor, the redhead gently sat on the edge of the mattress, his hand stopping its running through his companion's hair. "Roxas," he murmured.

Without thought, the blonde shot forward at the sound of Axel's voice, latching onto the lithe body in front of him with his arms, resting his forehead in the crook between his partner's shoulder and neck, unable to believe that he was finally back with his friend.

Slowly wrapping his arms around the body attached to him, Axel rested his head against Roxas', shutting his eyes at the feeling of contentment.

The two Nobodies sat like that for a while, ignoring everything else around them.

- O -

Walking side by side, the two friends approached the large white door, ready to begin their new lives.

Pausing before the threshold of the door, Roxas waited for Axel to notice his stop, wishing to show something to his partner.

Axel detected the blonde's pause before walking over and standing in front of him.

The shorter Nobody began to fidget, worried about how Axel would react. Closing his eyes, he grabbed the tall redhead's shoulders, leaned up as far as he could and softly placed his lips on Axel's.

The older Nobody froze at the action, eyes wide and staring at Roxas' face before he leaned into the kiss. He threaded his arms around the boy's waist, pulling him flush against his body.

Breaking apart from each other for air, Axel rested his forehead against Roxas' one, panting as lightly as his partner.

"Let's meet again in the next life," he whispered, a gentle smile playing across his face.

The blonde nodded happily, leaning up and pecking Axel's lips before they broke apart to walk through the door together, hands held between the two.

- O -

In another world, bright with sunlight and colours, a group of nine, all various ages ranging from 16 to early forties, hung around with each other through most of their lives. Many had been there for each other since birth, and met with their other friends through coincidence or fate.

Some relationships were tighter than others. The sandy-blonde and periwinkle haired men, having been friends together since a chance meeting at a seminar, surprised everyone when they wound up together, considering their differences on almost everything.

Everyone understood, to a point, when the only female of heir group was caught behind the building with the male who had rose-coloured hair in the first year of college; it shocked them all at how the two had been found but never explained the situation in detail.

But no-one was surprised when the redhead and the youngest ended up together, never having been parted since the youngest's birth for anything.

- O -

**[**_Author's Note:_ **]**  
**[ **Sequel 1 to 'Remembrance. Not much to say for this really. Sequel 2, 'Revelations', will be out later in the next year. **]**


End file.
